Bajaj Capital: Our workforce is highly diverse

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

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Sunaina Mattoo Khanna, Executive Vice President & Head - HR, Bajaj Capital says We have a mix of young and old team members; we hire highly experienced and freshers at the same time. Male-female ratio is also quite healthy.

Sunaina Mattoo Khanna is responsible for designing and implementing all HR policies at Bajaj Capital. She graduated in Zoology from University of Delhi, followed by MBA in Human Resource Development from Pune University.

Why is your company a great place to work in?

Fostering a ‘family environment' clubbed with 'performance culture' is the key USP at Bajaj Capital, which makes it a great place to work for. The management provides support and guidance to employees and they experience the warmth of the culture due to the family feeling, helping them perform better and enjoy their professional life. This is the reason why the word 'employee' is banned in our company and we refer to them as ‘team members’. Everyone has freedom to put creativity in their tasks.

What was the percentage salary hike in your organisation in 2012?

It was in the range of 10-14%. However, some performers have also got to the tune of 20-30%.

Your organisation’s most employee-friendly policy?

We follow 'culture of health' - Bajaj Capital encourages healthy living. All offices are no-smoking areas. Efforts are also made to inculcate healthy habits among all by disseminating health-related information through a dedicated e-newsletter. There are no night shifts. We also organise yoga sessions and health awareness Programmes to improve the health and well-being of our team members as well as clients.

What’s the most unique thing about your appraisal system?

We have a very transparent appraisal criteria wherein appraisal parameters are laid in advance and weightage is given to both qualitative and quantitative parameters. The review of the team members' performance is done automatically through a business monitoring software called 'wealth maker'. Annual appraisals are always done on the basis of average scores secured in the performance ppraisal scorecards (MPAS) and the annual appraisal rating is done by the appraiser (where team members are appraised on hygiene factors). 70 per cent weightage is given to MPAS and 30 per cent weightage is given to the annual appraisal rating. We have a '' write your own cheque'' philosophy and the entire appraisal system is designed to live up to this philosophy.

Does your company use social media for recruitment? Do you also check a candidate's online social media profile before the hire?

Yes, we do use social media to some extent but are not fully dependant on it. On case to case basis, we do check the social media profile of a candidate but we depend more on the feedback of referrals and past employers.

Your thoughts on internal rotation of new hires to help them decide where they fit best?

Internal rotation at times ends up in confusing a candidate. However, once a new hire acquires certain skill sets and behaviours which make him more suitable for another profile, he should be given a chance to perform in another profile. I, personally, like to hire candidates who have firm conviction in a profile which they are opting for as they tend to be more decisive and clear headed.

Tell us something about the induction process in your organisation.

We follow a rigorous 14-day class room training in which a candidate is groomed on various aspects of wealth management. Personal goal setting and aspirations is also a part of this training. This is followed by a practical hand holding programme.

How diverse is your workforce? Do you have expatriates on board? If yes, how many and at what level?

Our workforce is highly diverse. We have a mix of young and old team members; we hire highly experienced and freshers at the same time as well. Male-female ratio is quite healthy, and team members hail from very small towns to big metros.

Is your organisation woman-friendly? What are the special facilities provided to them?

Yes, we encourage women team members to hold key positions in the organisation. Most of our woman managers are top performers and high incentive earners. For women, we provide extended maternity benefits (case-to-case basis) and other exemptions, which allows them to strike a fine balance between home and office.

How does the organisation ensure their safety during late-night commutes, etc?

In case a lady worker is required to stay till late hours, company does the arrangement for commuting along with a buddy, though we do not allow working till late or during the night hours.

What kind of workspace do you have – seating arrangements, computers, reception area, canteen and other facilities?

We have an open and transparent seating arrangement even for the BOD of the company. Bajaj Capital is a smart place to work because we are a complete technology driven firm with human touch and higher emotional bonding. Our operations are almost paper-free and even when team members are on the move, they are connected to the work place at all times with the help of technology like smart telecommunication systems and technology driven contact center. Web and teleconferencing facility is enabled for everyone.

What is the average age of your workforce? How many years, on average, do people stay in your organisation?

Average age of our workforce is 27 years. And average ''stick-on'' period for managers and above is around 12-15 years.

About Sunaina Mattoo Khanna:

At Bajaj Capital Ltd., Sunaina Mattoo Khanna has been responsible for designing and implementing all HR policies of the company that has helped the company to grow from 300+ employees to its current workforce strength of over 5000. The company has been awarded with various recognitions based on its people policies like the ‘Smart Place to work in India by Acer’ for four consecutive years, ranked amongst the top 50 Great Places to Work in India by Great Places to Work Institute Inc. among others.

She graduated in Zoology from University of Delhi, followed by MBA in Human Resource Development from Pune University. She was awarded with the ''Young HR Professional of the Year'' by World HRD Congress for the year 2011-2012, and the ''Young HR Achiever Award' at Employer Branding Awards for year 2010-2011. Her interests lie in travelling and networking.